Elderly

Researchers are evaluating whether the video-based exercise program "Bliib fit - mach mit!" can improve physical fitness in older adults living in residential care facilities. The study aims to see if this program enhances physical fitness, quality of life, perceived fall risk, self-efficacy, and daily physical activity levels. This trial compares the video-based program to a caregiver-led activation program as an optimized standard care approach. Participants will take part in either the video-based exercise program or the caregiver-led activation program for 12 weeks. Each participant will engage in sessions four times a week, with each session lasting about 20 minutes. The video-based program focuses on mobilization, muscle strengthening, coordination, balance, and relaxation, supervised by a care professional. The caregiver-led activation program is instructed and carried out by care professionals individually or in groups. During the study, researchers will assess participants at baseline, after 12 weeks of intervention, and again 12 weeks after the intervention ends. They will measure physical fitness through tests like the Short Physical Performance Battery, grip strength, and a 2-minute walking test. Secondary measures include health-related quality of life, falls efficacy, self-efficacy, and physical activity tracked with accelerometers. This comprehensive monitoring aims to understand how the programs affect participants over time.

Researchers are evaluating the +AGIL Barcelona program to help frail older adults improve their physical abilities and delay disability. This study focuses on adapting and expanding the program across different community health centers in Barcelona. It aims to measure improvements in physical performance using a simple test (SPPB) and assess how well the program can be implemented in various neighborhoods. The program includes up to 10 weekly group exercise sessions led by a physiotherapist, emphasizing strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. Participants receive personalized exercises supported by easy-to-understand materials. The program also offers advice on healthy habits like the Mediterranean diet, sleep improvement, and managing swallowing or memory issues. Medication reviews are conducted to ensure safe and appropriate treatments, and support is provided to connect participants with local activities to reduce social isolation. Participants will be involved in assessments of their physical performance, quality of life, cognitive function, social engagement, diet adherence, medication use, and any adverse events at the start, three months, and six months. The study uses a stepped approach to introduce the program at different sites gradually. Researchers will also gather qualitative feedback on participants' experiences and program implementation. The total participation duration includes baseline and follow-up visits over six months.

Researchers are conducting the 100-Year Human Aging Study, an observational trial designed to follow participants over their lifespans to investigate which health measurements can predict mortality, serious diseases, and functional disability. The study aims to validate many longevity measures that currently lack prospective evidence by tracking physiological, cognitive, social, and environmental factors that change with aging. This research will generate important data to improve understanding of aging and longevity medicine. Participants undergo comprehensive multi-system clinical screenings including tests like cardiopulmonary exercise testing, body composition assessment by DEXA, echocardiography, electrocardiography, spirometry, neurocognitive testing, sensory assessments, metabolic testing, and detailed medical and social histories. The study allows for different levels of participation, from single tests to full two-visit screening batteries, and encourages repeat testing to capture health changes over time. During the study, participants receive individualized reports including investigational estimates of biological age and predicted cause of death. Researchers collect data on mortality, serious health events, chronic diseases, functional ability, and lifestyle changes through periodic follow-up over many years, potentially up to 100 years. This extensive data collection helps evaluate how well these measurements predict aging outcomes. All data are stored in raw form for future analysis and participants are supported with ongoing contact and opportunities for repeat assessments.

Researchers are evaluating three different impression techniques for making 3D-printed mandibular implant overdentures in patients who have lost all their lower teeth. This randomized crossover trial involves sixteen patients aged 45 to 70 years who will receive two implants in the lower jaw. The study aims to compare how these techniques influence chewing efficiency and patient satisfaction. The three impression methods being studied are: conventional open-tray implant-level impression, functionally generated reline impression, and mucostatic base with functional borders impression. Each participant will wear three different overdentures made using these techniques, each for three months. Between each overdenture period, there is a two-week washout phase during which a provisional denture is worn. The order of techniques is randomly assigned for each patient. Participants will undergo assessments at 3, 6, and 9 months after overdenture insertion. Chewing efficiency will be measured using a color-mixing ability test, and patient satisfaction will be recorded using a Visual Analog Scale. The study includes clinical evaluations and questionnaires to monitor the effects of each impression technique on both function and patient experience.

Researchers are comparing the survival rates of different ceramic dental implants in adults with missing or hopeless teeth. This observational study focuses on two types of CeraRoot ceramic implants: one-piece and two-piece (TL) models. The study aims to determine if there are significant differences in implant survival and to identify any complications associated with the procedures in these groups. The study involves patients from two dental centers in Barcelona, Spain, and Boulder, Colorado, USA. Participants will receive either one-piece or two-piece CeraRoot ceramic dental implants. These implants are specially designed for patients with metal allergies or chronic illnesses related to metal allergies. The study will follow patients for at least 12 months after enrollment to monitor implant survival and complications. During the study, researchers will collect information on implant survival rates and any complications occurring within one year after treatment. Participants will undergo dental assessments to evaluate implant status and oral health. The study's main outcome is the survival rate of the implants over 12 months or longer. This long-term follow-up helps understand the performance and safety of these ceramic dental implants in real-world clinical settings.

Researchers are evaluating a new dental device made of zirconia, cemented with Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement, to explore if it can serve as an additional option for replacing missing teeth. This clinical trial aims to find a faster and possibly more affordable treatment for edentulism, addressing some shortcomings of conventional bridges and dental implants. The study is an early phase interventional trial focusing on fixed prosthodontics. The trial involves placing the zirconia dental device in edentulous areas of the jaw in 48 participants. The device will be cemented with PMMA bone cement and immediately loaded within 0 to 15 days using single crowns or multiple unit bridges made of zirconia, fixed with luting cement. Participants will be randomly assigned to groups based on the location of their missing teeth: maxillary anterior, maxillary posterior, mandibular anterior, or mandibular posterior regions. Participants will undergo a Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) scan and clinical evaluation before treatment. After device placement, clinical examinations and radiographic evaluations will be conducted every three months for one year to monitor outcomes like bone loss, gum health, oral hygiene, pain, discomfort, dislodgment, and fractures of the dental device. The entire trial spans 16 months, including follow-up periods to assess device performance and safety.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a serious mental illness that tends to run in families and affects behavior, thinking, emotions, social interactions, and work. It has characteristics like high prevalence, frequent recurrence, and early onset. Early recognition and diagnosis are challenging but important for better outcomes. This research aims to create a large, high-quality group of BD high-risk individuals by enrolling 400 participants over four years and following them intensively for ten years using an electronic mental health platform. The study will collect various types of data including clinical, genetic, cognitive, neuroimaging, sleep, EEG, eye movement, speech, facial expression, and movement to understand how biological, clinical, and environmental factors interact in BD onset. The study is observational and includes three groups: children aged 6 to 18 who have at least one parent with BD, children with atypical depression diagnosed by DSM-5 criteria, and healthy children matched by age and gender without psychiatric family history. Participants will be assessed yearly for four years, including brain scans and multiple follow-ups to track the development of mental illnesses, brain structure and function, cognitive function, sleep quality, quality of life, and genetic features. Participants will be involved in annual evaluations for four years, including clinical assessments and brain imaging. Researchers will monitor the differences in development among the three groups over time. The main outcomes focus on the prevalence of mental illness, brain development, and multi-modal feature changes. Secondary outcomes include cognitive function, sleep quality, quality of life, and genetic differences. This long-term follow-up aims to develop predictive models for BD onset and guide early, personalized interventions for those at high risk.

Researchers are evaluating how a combined program of aerobic and resistance exercises along with cognitive training affects brain function in older adults aged 60 and above. The study focuses on people who are sedentary and may or may not have cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, conditions known to impact memory and attention. This trial aims to compare the effects of physical exercise alone versus combined physical and cognitive training on thinking skills and brain health. The trial includes three groups: one group will do both cognitive and physical training, another will do only aerobic and resistance exercises, and the third group will perform stretching and toning exercises as an active control. Each group participates in three sessions per week for 46 weeks, with options to train at home or at a center. The physical exercise sessions include warm-up, moderate to vigorous aerobic activity monitored by heart rate, and resistance training, while cognitive training involves computer-based memory and attention tasks. Participants will undergo assessments at the start and after 12 months to measure changes in general cognition, processing speed, executive functions, and memory. Brain imaging and blood flow measures will also be evaluated to observe changes in brain structure and function. Throughout the study, participants will be monitored for exercise intensity and adherence. The total study duration covers 12 months, with safety and cognitive outcomes closely tracked to understand the impact of these interventions.

Researchers are evaluating a computer-based cognitive rehabilitation program called Enhancing Memory in Daily Life (E-MinD Life) aimed at delaying functional decline related to cognitive changes in Chinese healthy older adults, those with memory complaints, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and mild dementia. This pilot study is conducted in Hong Kong and includes participants without depression or other clinical conditions affecting cognition. The study uses a randomized controlled design to assess the feasibility and benefits of the E-MinD Life program. The trial has two groups: one receives the E-MinD Life Semantic program, which teaches memory strategies applied to 12 daily activities over 9 weeks with weekly sessions led by healthcare professionals and family-assisted home practice. The other group receives cognitive stimulation through visual and auditory memory activities with a similar schedule. Both interventions include one 45-minute individual session and two 30-minute home sessions weekly. Participants will attend sessions either face-to-face or online, with family or carers involved for support and observation. Researchers will assess acceptability at the end of the 9-week intervention and measure feasibility through attendance rates. Cognitive and daily living abilities will be evaluated using various tests from enrollment to intervention end. The total participation includes these assessments and intervention monitoring over 9 weeks.

Researchers are evaluating the use of a high protein egg white pudding as a nutritional supplement for people with kidney failure who are on dialysis. The study aims to find out if giving this egg white pudding after dialysis is practical and whether it can improve blood protein levels, frailty, dietary intake, and other blood markers compared to a standard supplement called Ensure Plus. This trial is conducted by Seven Oaks Hospital Chronic Disease Innovation Centre. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the egg white protein pudding or Ensure Plus at the end of their dialysis treatments three times a week for 12 weeks. Both supplements are dietary and taken during the dialysis sessions. The study collects data during this 12-week intervention period to evaluate the effects of the two supplements. During the study, participants will be monitored for their ability to stay in the trial, adherence to the supplements, and health measures such as hand grip strength, walking speed, balance, and blood levels including serum albumin and electrolytes. These assessments occur at the end of the 12 weeks. The trial also tracks recruitment and follow-up rates to evaluate feasibility. Overall, participants are involved in regular supplement intake and health testing during dialysis over three months.